Two Kosovo Serbs killed near Lipljan

Lipljan, Feb 20, 2004 - Zlatomir Kostic, 36, from Kosovo Polje and Milijana Markovic, 24, from Staro Gracko were murdered near Lipljan late Thursday.

Condemning the latest in a series of crimes in the province, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija head Nebojsa Covic said that UNMIK and KFOR have failed to resolve a number of crimes in Kosovo including the 1999 murder of Kosovo Serbs in Staro Gracko, the killing of Serb children in Gorazdevac and the murder of the Stolic family in Obilic.

Bishop of Raska and Prizren Artemije has strongly condemned the crime. According to the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren, the crime came only a few days after KFOR Command decided to disband its Multinational Brigade Centre which was in charge of Lipljan.

Kosovo Serbs held a protest rally in Staro Gracko on Friday calling on UNMIK and KFOR to bring the culprits to justice. Kosovo parliament presidency member Oliver Ivanovic, Kosovo government co-minister Milorad Todorovic and Coalition Povratak (Return) caucus whip Dragisa Krstovic attended the rally.

A total of 22 Serbs have been killed in Lipljan since the deployment of UNMIK and KFOR in June 1999.